In this most political of towns, constant discussion of minimal support for Stephen Strasburg sounds more like a struggling candidate running for office than the hardball reality: a dominant pitcher receiving no love in the way of scoreboard-changing swings.

For the fourth time this season, Strasburg allowed zero earned runs in a start for the Nationals, lowering his ERA to a minuscule 2.24. In 13 of his 16 starts, the Nationals right-hander has surrendered two runs or fewer. There are other gaudy numbers in his favor, except that all important won-loss record.

Not that Strasburg was tagged with defeat in the Nationals’ 4-0 loss to the Brewers on Tuesday. Considering he tossed seven scoreless innings while allowing three hits and striking out eight, one would hope not. Considering his luck on the mound this year, it’s hard being stunned that he didn’t pick up the win, either.

“He threw his [butt] off tonight,” outfielder Bryce Harper said. “I think when a guy throws like that, he should be able to win.”Read more

this team is honestly embarassing. Strasburg and the top 3 of the rotation are really carrying this team to no avail. Our offense can not produce runs and if you keep putting in Drew Storen you are going to keep losing. He's not the same and he needs to be dealt at the trade deadline

Back to the drawing board. Harper being back will help some but something is wrong with the team's offense. If most of the guys are performing offensively close to last year's production, then what is the difference? The pitching is still solid. Is it merely the failure of Tyler Moore to turn into an excellent offensive player? Because everyone seems roughly the same from last year when we were scoring more runs.Crushing loss. We finally had a chance to put together a winning streak of more than 2 and blow it in the 8th. Johnson seemed disappointed and he rarely seems to let things get to him.

It will be a shame if Stars gets snubbed for the AS team because of his irrelevant W-L record. Both his ERA and WHIP are now way ahead of last year. I also liked the way he sucked it up and bore down after Zim's atrocious error. That ought to put to rest any argument that he isn't mentally tough.My Nats All Stars would be: J-Znn, Stras and Desi. I might be convinced on Harper despite him missing a half of the season to date only because he fell behind in the voting to Justin Upton, who has really stunk up the joint since his hot start.

Strasburg does arguably deserve to be there based on his track record and current stats. I happened to read that Darold Knowles went 2-14 for the Senators in the early 70's with a 2.06 E.R.A., so sometimes it just happens. He probably will not be selected, however, which is probably fine for the team this year, but going forward it is always great to have your guys out there.

Question to Thomas BoswellFrom http://www.nationalsarmrace.com/ :Q: With Werth appearing to be injured, do you see Davey moving Harper to right and Werth to left field?A: Well, this is one of those “veteran manager” moves from Davey Johnson that gets me sometimes. I believe that Jayson Werth is inarguably a lesser fielder than Harper (who would be playing center for nearly every other team in the league by virtue of his range and arm). Harper’s arm is one of the best in the league. He’s younger, faster and covers more ground (excellent range per UZR/150 numbers in center last year). So why is Werth in right? Because he’s the vet. Harper won’t take over RF until Werth advances in age or gets a new manager who isn’t afraid to move him and his 9 figure salary to the position he should be in.

Thomas Boswell:Bryce Harper center field experiment could benefit Nationals in many wayshttp://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/bryce-harper-centerfield-experiment-could-benefit-nationals-in-many-ways/2012/03/20/gIQADw7BQS_story.htmlJohnson and Rizzo can't seem to make up their minds….

Nats have botched their positioning of Harper in the outfield from the get-go:http://nats101.com/2013/05/19/opinion-stop-scolding-bryce-harper/ :And yes, let’s not forget: In the “just about two years of his life” that Harper's played outfield, he’s played in Left and Center field (he was playing Right when he ran into the wall). Despite presumptions some may have based on playing recreation league softball, these are not the same positions. It’s not all just “The Outfield” and interchangeable like that. Balls hit to different parts of the field by different handed hitters move… differently. It’s not just that there is a wall on your left instead of your right, it’s that liners over one shoulder might be in the gap instead of foul (and are likely to spin or roll a different way, too). And again “used to” is generous given his experience.

Strasburg did pitch a heck of a game and again got no run support. The Brewers weren't exactly playing their "A" team. Carlos Gomez and Jean Segura and their catcher Lucroy all got the day off and Ryan Braun is on the DL.That's 4 regulars out of the game and 3 of them are All Star quality players.Strasburg was facing a team that resembled a split squad Spring Training roster with 3 recognizable names in Aoki, Weeks and Aramis Ramirez.Even their pitcher wasn't a name most knew, but they will remember him now, Wily Peralta!

Now for Drew Storen, he was facing Logan Schafer to lead off the 8th and promptly on pitch #2 Schafer drilled that single into RF.Then Drew goes into nibble mode on Rickie Weeks that was too eerily familiar to Game 5. Pitches 1 and 2 well below the zone for a 2-0 count. Pitch 3 drilled in for a strike looking. In the 2-1 count and Drew looking for a doubleplay ball Drew gets one in the bottom of the strike zone but doesn't get the call.Pitch F/X definitely has it as a strike. Instead of 2-2 count it went to 3-1 and Drew lost it on pitch 5 throwing it way out of the zone for a walk.Davey had nobody warming up and it was Storen's game to win or lose right there. The toughest out was sure to be Aramis Ramirez who Storen got to pop out to short CF and then it was the ex-Brave, the guy who was DFA'd a month ago, Juan Francisco who did him in. Storen throws a 1st pitch heater inside for what should have been 0-1 but called a ball. He gets Francisco on a changeup flailing and fouling it off for strike 1 with the runners in motion to make it 1-1 instead of 0-2. Still, Drew and Suzuki just saw Francisco swing at a ball way out of the zone and now have Francisco in chase mode. Drew goes back to the heater, almost a center cut fastball, that Francisco drilled into the gap for the game winner. Why that pitch in a 1-1 count? The ump Brian Knight was no friend of Drew Storen's on this night but once again Drew didn't help himself. Rickie Weeks at-bat:http://www.brooksbaseball.net/pfxVB/cache/numlocation.php-pitchSel=519322&game=gid_2013_07_02_milmlb_wasmlb_1&batterX=58&innings=yyyyyyyyy&sp_type=1&s_type=3.gifJuan Francisco at-bat:http://www.brooksbaseball.net/pfxVB/pfx.php?s_type=3&sp_type=1&year=2013&month=7&day=2&pitchSel=519322&game=gid_2013_07_02_milmlb_wasmlb_1/&prevGame=gid_2013_07_02_milmlb_wasmlb_1/&prevDate=72&batterX=60

Here's what gets me with these umpires. The inning before Drew Storen doesn't get a true strike on a pitch that ump Brian Knight is looking at on his left-hand shoulder that was a strike inside the zone. That would be a critical side of the plate in the 9th inning when Knight imagines a strike when the pitch is out of the zone. Nothing like inconsistency.Bernadina comes up with no outs, men on 1st and 2nd and Bernadina takes the 1st pitch for a strike. In a 0-1 count he takes an outside pitch. Brian Knight calls it a strike. Huh? Keep in mind that Bernadina is 4-7 against this pitcher prior to this at-bat. That is out of the zone and the same side of the plate that Storen didn't get that call on Francisco that truly was a strike.Bernadina falls behind 0-2 instead of 1-1 and you know he is dead shark bait from there. Brian Knight had a moving strike zone all night and failed to be consistent. That's a problem.http://www.brooksbaseball.net/pfxVB/cache/numlocation_io.php-pitchSel=408061&game=gid_2013_07_02_milmlb_wasmlb_1&batterX=77&innings=yyyyyyyyy&sp_type=1&s_type=3.gif

Strasburg went 7 full innings in this game and threw 105 pitches. Once again the umpires and fielding errors would change the course of the game.In the 3rd inning with 2 outs, Aoki gets an infield single that was a blown call and would have been reversed by instant replay if in fact instant replay existed.That cost Strasburg 5 more pitches to be thrown.In the 6th inning, with a man on 1st Strasburg induces a possible doubleplay ball to Ryan Zimmerman who commits an error and while you can't assume the doubleplay at least gets the 5-3 forceout for the 2nd out.Strasburg walks Aramis Ramirez on 5 pitches. Call it frustration, call it poor pitching in that at-bat, call it extra pitches. Strasburg threw 22 pitches in the 6th inning to drive his pitch count to 87.With the blown call in the 3rd and the error in the 6th, Strasburg threw at least an extra 9 pitches and probably more on a night that he may have gone for a complete game or at least 8 full innings negating the call to the bullpen.

Nationals PR‏ @NationalsPR 1 Jul Including tonight, Drew Storen has offered scoreless relief in 16 of his last 17 apps. He has 5 holds and 17 Ks during that stretch.________________________This was Tweeted on July 1st.

Scott Margenau said… I can just see WODL and DP in debate club. Not sure who would win. This thread was a great read. Weird but great. I find myself agreeing with WODL in regards to Span. He's no lead off…at least not a good one for reasons cited over and over…but I like him as a left bat and a good OFer. I too want Bryce in center. Span needs to bat 8th and sit vs lhp. Rendon or Werth to lead. I guarantee that will win more games. Well, I "think" it will July 03, 2013 7:22 AM ________________________________For the record and through yesterday's game, Denard Span has an OBP of .360 against right handed starting pitchers.Totally with those calling for Span to ride the pine when the Nats face a left handed starter but why wouldn't you want Span to stay in leadoff against the right handed starting pitchers?

I was at the game last night…just read some of the game threads this morning…being at the park keeps me calm because there are so many other fans that express vocally what I was feeling. So, I just sat back and let them vent for me. Observation number 1: Stras is very good and did not deserve to lose.2; One fan said it best last night, Harper's home run the other night was like premature ejaculation…he got us excited and after that he has stunk like the rest of the team in terms of consistencySo much for the theory that once Bryce is back the team will hit. Nats were facing a 4-9 pitcher with and ERA over 5.00!!!!! Last night simply showed, this team has NO URGENCY, NO CONSISTENCY and worst of all NO HEART!!!3. Fan support is fantastic and we deserve BETTER!!4. Drew Storen is a LOSER!! I saw someone posted he has not given up a run in 16 of 17 innings…SO WHAT. What matters is when you give it up.. all Storen did was remind me and 30,000 plus fans last night about game 5 verse Cards. He stinks, get this head case out of here. what a bust! This was a big game and he single handed destroyed any chance Nats had, even though ALR's pathetic last at bat sums up that this team can not hit. I left after that5. I saw a post about Storen's reaction on Bryce's error, at the park I could not really see that…but..I will tell you, that is why Storen is a BUM!!!!! What nerve this clown of a pitcher has after his awful performance. Storen should be tip toeing around everyone, let alone showing any anger toward another team mate. Remember Drew my boy, you had 5 chances to get the last out in game 5 and you failed…you BUM! Harper is a super star you Drew are a clown

Span is the least of Nats problems offensively… Bryce is back and the team is shut out at HOME by a pitcher with 5.00 ERA and a depleted bull pen who was blasted on Monday and coming off a 14 inning loss on Sunday…this puts in perspective of how over rated the Nats really are..This in itself should be the biggest red flag on the Nats. Also, Rizzo has to rebuild the bull pen staring with trading Storen. Let him lose for another team, I have had enough of him in DC

"Harper's home run the other night was like premature ejaculation…he got us excited and after that he has stunk like the rest of the team in terms of consistency"OK, interesting analogy.Doesn't Bryce deserve a few games to get his full timing back?

Trade Storen for a bag of balls. Use Clippard in the 8th. Let the situation dictate who pitches otherwise. Davey's in game management is atrocious. When everyone in the crowd can see that Drew doesn't have it, you pull the plug. You have 2 great young lefty relievers but Davey never plays matchups and lets guys struggle against their weakness. No way Drew should have pitched to Francisco when you have Abad and Krol. When Matheus returns he fills Drew's Roogy role. Just because a guy has good stuff does't mean he should pitch the late innings-just look at HROD. Drew's mental fortitude is not much higher than HRod's.

Yes Storen was bad last night, but Mr.Harper deserves criticism for his efforts as well, bad situational hitting in the 1st,hit less on the night in the 3 spot, and a dropped fly ball.The kid is good but far from perfect.

Gonat said: Totally with those calling for Span to ride the pine when the Nats face a left handed starter but why wouldn't you want Span to stay in leadoff against the right handed starting pitchers?Gonat — he's not a good lead off either way. He won't maintain that obp, he rarely steals, no hbp, no power at all. That hurts us. His slash tells us he's a 7-8 guy. And he's on a downward spiral. Rendon would be ideal, or Werth.

Team fixes:Davey. Any good manager we have 6 more wins. Bryce to center. Power cf is the way to go. Storen- idk what to do with himSpan plays vs rhp at 8th spot – tymo or YTBS power hitter RHB starts vs lefties. Tymo just recently won us a game, and barely gets a chance to play.

I predict next year that by not having Davey alone we will be a much better team. He has killed the team this year. Horrible in game managing, horrible bullpen management, horrible lineups. Hopefully they hire someone whose not afraid of the veterans and is not afraid to hit Werth 7th or move Zim from 3rd, instead of letting contracts dictate his lineup. We've become the MFYankees. Its almost as if Davey is more concerned with restoring his guys shattered confidence(Danny and Drew) than winning games.

I tuned out the blog last night as soon as WODL started in on Span again. I honestly think we all have our right to our opinion, no matter how preposterous they may be. My problem with WODL isn't that he thinks Span is the problem. No, my problem is that he has bogarted the joint over it for over 100 posts in the past couple of weeks, and in so doing, has left this blog bordering on unreadable. I won't even go into why I think Span is not a Rizzo mistake. In my opinion, which is just that, an opinion, if someone can't see Span's overall positives that he brings, then I see their opinion as bordering on irrational. But stating it over 100 times is just rude.Give it a break.

I hate the coulda-woulda-shoulda approach, but would someone of our baseball guys care to discuss whether Drew would have been better served to spend his first few years in the minors, learning to work faster, and hold baserunners? Are these things that can be taught, at such a relatively late stage in a pitchers development? They seem to be fairly critical elements, and I would think that guys coming in with plus stuff (like Storen) would benefit from establishing good habits, from the get… No facetiousness intended, here… Just wanna know if I'm off-base, here… Tanx

Wow, the flood tides of negativity are never more than one loss away. A few thoughts:1. Complaining about Span after he went 2-5 is silly.2. Storen – The question is not whether he's the greatest thing since sliced bread (he's not). The question is whether the bullpen is better with him or with whoever would take his place. Please step up if you're ready to identify the PTBNL and make the argument for him.3. Premature ejaculation – bad analogy, because the prematurity in this case belongs not to Harper but to the fan who's ready to pass judgment on his 2d game back, with 79 to go. If only there were another analogy for that – I don't know, something contrasting a long distance run and a short distance run….

Section 135 said…I predict next year that by not having Davey alone we will be a much better team._______________________________And who will replace the man with what I believe is now the 2nd highest winning percentage of any living manager that is going to bring this great improvement?

so Brewers are 16 under 500…Nats 7 back of Braves 5 and a half for wild card…why it is not out of reach, there is something disturbing about losing to a team that was 17 under 500 with no pitching staff and worst of all, not scoring a run…that is not the breaks of baseball, that is CRAP!!! If Davey does not verbally kick this team's ass after last night then to hell with him and this team!I do not want to hear this team would not react well to a tirade. It is what they need, they need a Billy Martin or Earl Weaver to call them out and challenge them. Beginning to think that the Nats are a team of PU—-S

it is amazing how some of you ignore things right in front of you. yes, peralta has a 5+ ERA on the season and he struggled in first inning but he pitched a better game from then on. carp also pointed out his numbers 1st time, 2nd time, and 3rd time through the lineup.now as far as milwaukee bullpen is concerned, yes it has been overused lately but that does not mean they will just stop producing. They had like 1.48 ERA over last some number of games. again, this was shown by carp when axford was pitching I believe.Storen, only one unearned run before last night in last 10 appearances. even last night, 2 should be unearned because of harper's error. yes, not holding runners is his fault but that's the only fault he has.Harper, wasn't like half the fan base asking for him to be up here last week?span, over his career span has had better OBP against lefties than righties (this includes this season's numbers). if you only look at his numbers against lefties before this season, he has outperformed than his numbers against righties. so stop complaining all the time and be patient. he will come around. they don't stop hitting all of a sudden.

And who will replace the man with what I believe is now the 2nd highest winning percentage of any living manager that is going to bring this great improvement?Chuck Noll is 1991 had a great winning percentage wit the Steelers and was canned because he lost it. Steelers replave him witha young, in your face guy and made it back to the Supe Bowl in 4 seasons.Davey is terrible and this team needs a new firey guy to get in the grills of these under achieving players. Let's stop defending and feeling sorry for these guys. last night was UNACCEPTABLE by any standards…ZERO runs, at HOME verse a team 17 under, a pitcher with 5.00 ERA, a depleted bull pen… with Bryce back and remember, the team was going to hit once he was back…last night has to be the breaking point

Davey's past W/L record doesn't excuse his poor managing this year. He was great last year, this year he has been awful in so many ways:1. Takes starters out too early(except Haren)2. Leave's RP's in when struggling (Drew, Stammen, HRod)3. Plays guys out of position (Lombo, Moore)4. Lineups (as determined by Jayson Werth)5. Never bunts no matter what(even if the guys batting has no chance of getting a hit)6. Plays AL ball as if Morse was still here with a lineup of Span and Lombo and Bernie.7. Danny8. Storen9. Many controversial statements which throw his players under the bus(Bryce, Stras, etc..)10. Playing guys who are hurt when they should be sitting (Bryce, Haren, Danny, Zim, Werth)It would take quite a bad manager next year to top this list of embarrassments. I loved Davey last year, but this year he just seems lost. Our season is a lesson in bad managing, bad luck, and bad roster creation which turned a winner into an average team.

So who is this soon to be manager that is going to lead us to the promised land? You guys are knocking the reigning manager of the year, but all I'm asking is who are you in favor of replacing him with? Girardi, the only living manager with a higher winning percentage isn't likely to be available. And I find football analogies when talking baseball to be irrelevant.

Nats are going to deal with this any way in 2014 after Davey retires so I do no get what the problem is? If i recall, no one ever heard of Weaver in 1968, Martin had never managed in 1969 and was considered to wild.Sparky Andersen was 36 when he coached the Reds with no experienceThey are out there.. a young firey manager is out there

Strong agreement with you @8:35, Joe. That kind of rap dominance is just rank selfish indulgence. But, there was a lot of hilarity in there, especially the effort at the end to twist Span's doubles and triples into a liability for a lead off man. Oh, wait, DUH. It's much easier to walk and then steal two bases than it is to end up at 2nd or 3rd right off the bat, as it were. How silly of me.Anyway, here are Span's transgressions as I recall them being listed last night:-Forced Harper to the outfield isntead of catcher-Forced Harper out of the walless safety of center field-Forced Harper to hit the wall in Atlanta-Forced Harper to hit the wall in LA-Yelled "boo!" just as Harper tried to glove that fly ball last night-Hits doubles and triples from lead offGood stuff!

Welcome to baseball, new fans! Those of us who watched the Washington Nationals suffer through years of last-place finishes and two 100 loss seasons in a row are truly happy that the fan base is growing and that more people here in DC seem to be following the team every day and attending the games. It's really great to see our city turning into a baseball town.With that in mind- although it's great to see the passion, you should know that complaining incessantly about a manager who has a tremendous track record and who piloted the team to a 98 win season just last year reflects poorly on you and the fan base. The same goes for trashing a team that is one game over .500 in July. It makes you sound like you think you're entitled to a team that goes 162-0. Frankly, those of us who sat through all those last place and 100 loss seasons think you sound ridiculous.Last night is not the last time the Nationals will lose a game this season. This is baseball. Even the best team in the sport is going to lose at least 60 times this year. If you can't handle one less every three days or so (the Nats hsven't lost a series since mid-June) without flipping out on the internet and demanding that heads roll, then I hate to say it but maybe baseball isn't the sport for you,

Save your time, mick. You're wrong. Harper never led off one game last year for the Nats. Check Baseball Reference.LIke I said, I gotta go, but before I do I will say that I know enough about baseball to know that if you took all of the wisdom, from all of the "experts" on this blog, put it all in a bucket, painted the bucket all pretty-like, you would have nothing more then a bucket of manure in comparison to what Davey Johnson still knows about how to manage a baseball team.

Mick, Yesterday you were all about how we can catch the Braves no problem. Today you are championing the neganons. The problem is that you live and die with every win or loss. This isn't football and the Brewers despite being a mediocre team won't go 0 -162.May I remind you that they took 2 out of 3 from the Braves about 2 weeks ago. Yesterday was a bad loss only because we are in a big hole. Realistically, catching the Braves will be tough, likewise the Reds but so what. We have a good young team we will continue to compete and the chips will fall where they may.

So, last night for some reason the full-length article that heads up this thread was unavailable to me on csnwashington.com.I just read it today. I cannot overstate how much I LOVE this quote from Strasburg:"'You know, I’m tired of talking about [run support],' he bluntly stated. 'These guys battle every single day, just like I do, and it just didn’t work out for us tonight. But I’d like to get over that. I’d like to stop answering questions about run support.'"Bravo, Stras! I get this weird sense that the Nats are getting tired of these post game interviews. Desi, in particular, often seems to be quite over it. Can't say I blame them. My wife is only peripherally interested (at least as far as she'll admit , but when she hears these interviews (pretty rare) she unfailingly comments on how ridiculous the questions tend to be.

Wednesday's tidbits:- Homer Bailey threw a no-hitter (only a single walk to Gregor Blanco spoiled the perfecto), becoming only the fourth active pitcher with multiple no-no's. (The other three are Mark Buehrle, Roy Halladay and Justin Verlander) The last two no-no's in MLB have both been from Bailey. (The most interesting part of the game was that after the sole walk, a batter hit a soft grounder to first that Bailey was slow to move on, and the batter would have been safe on an infield single — but 1b-man Votto threw to third and caught Blanco in a run-down, preserving the no-no).- Pujols, Trout, and Hamilton combined to go 1-for-11 but the Angels still scored five runs to beat the Cards.- Marlins' Juan Pierre, leadoff hitter: .237/.283/.292

My only hope now is that Rizzo and Davey don't panic to try to salvage the season and trade away the farm system for a 5th starter and bench bat. 7 games out this late will be very difficult to overcome. Just play with what you have and hope for some luck but the Braves are playing better and I don't see the Reds or Cards choking. Our only real hope is the Pirates and they seem to keep winning.

Joe Seamhead said… Yes, Homer Bailey no-hit the reigning World Series Champs. I guess the GIants should fire the manager, too, seeing as they have an even worse record then the "half ass" Nats.And don't forget to fire their hitting coach, too!

Joe Seamhead said…Yes, Homer Bailey no-hit the reigning World Series Champs. I guess the GIants should fire the manager, too, seeing as they have an even worse record then the "half ass" Nats.And don't forget to fire their hitting coach, too!I will just say this, Giants have won 2 WS in 4 years. If Nats were "reigning World Series Champs" NOBODY would be complaining! Ridiculous analogy to make, Nats have not won anything yet

hiramhover said… Wow, the flood tides of negativity are never more than one loss away. A few thoughts: 1. Complaining about Span after he went 2-5 is silly.HH — it's not just that one game! Fine. Let's look at, say, his last dozen games.Last 12 games, slash line of .348/.400/.500/.900Oh . . . wait . . .

Ridiculous analogy to make, Nats have not won anything yet They won the division last year. And that was shortly after two consecutive 100+ loss seasons.And, for some silly reason, Davey Johnson won his second Manager of the Year award . . .

Best and most truthful POTD is clearlySection 135 said…Davey's past W/L record doesn't excuse his poor managing this year. He was great last year, this year he has been awful in so many ways:1. Takes starters out too early(except Haren)2. Leave's RP's in when struggling (Drew, Stammen, HRod)3. Plays guys out of position (Lombo, Moore)4. Lineups (as determined by Jayson Werth)5. Never bunts no matter what(even if the guys batting has no chance of getting a hit)6. Plays AL ball as if Morse was still here with a lineup of Span and Lombo and Bernie.7. Danny8. Storen9. Many controversial statements which throw his players under the bus(Bryce, Stras, etc..)10. Playing guys who are hurt when they should be sitting (Bryce, Haren, Danny, Zim, Werth)It would take quite a bad manager next year to top this list of embarrassments. I loved Davey last year, but this year he just seems lost. Our season is a lesson in bad managing, bad luck, and bad roster creation which turned a winner into an average team.

"Last 12 games, slash line of .348/.400/.500/.900Oh . . . wait . . . ;-)"Wonk, weren't you aware that this isn't how a lead off man is supposed to hit? 7 doubles and 2 triples in that span (heh) of games is actually a bad thing. See, those hits are more appropriate for the 7 or 8 slot. Fundamentals baby!/sarcasm

"If Nats were "reigning World Series Champs" NOBODY would be complaining!"OK, now I *REALLY* want the Nats to win the World Series and start off slow again next year…because I have absolutely ZERO doubt that your assertion is exactly wrong. If we had won the WS last year and this season were progressing in exactly the same fashion, things would be exactly the same around here. I would bet heavily on that.

Basically, it appears to be reflexive. I suspect the people complaining incessantly are as capable of not complaining as they would be capable of not blinking if someone were to blow dirt in their face.

I am also sick and tired of the Storen bashing. He has been money for over a month and yes Mick he is always pitching in game situations, in case you haven't noticed Storen always pitches either the 7th or the 8th innings with the exception of the times he pitches the 9th inning to rest Soriano. He also wasn't nibbling. He simply couldn't command his slider and his change up which left him exposed because the Brewers could sit on his fastball. I have no doubt he would have retired Francisco if he had his slider.

Listened to the Junkies this morning and they are claiming the Nats havent turned in any of the 500,000 punched All Star ballots in there possession and there source for that info was Nats PR. Now is it possible all the other teams havent turned in there ballots.

I"m going to (probably waste my time) and rebut every single one of these:1. Takes starters out too early(except Haren)Taking starters out too early is only a complaint heard when a reliever blows a game. That's really silly. There are lots of example when our starters went one inning too long. In any event, our starters are going consistently longer than last year. Was last year "too early" too? This is, 100%, Monday Morning QB'ing.2. Leave's RP's in when struggling (Drew, Stammen, HRod)And, yet, how many times have we seen Clip or even Soriano get two runners on, and he's left in, and he gets out of the inning?In June alone Soriano allowed at least two runners on, in a single inning *five times*. And yet he got the save in three of those times.Again — silly Monday Morning QB.3. Plays guys out of position (Lombo, Moore)You'd rather play Bernadina against a lefty pitcher when Harper was injured? Weren't you complaining that Lombo didn't play enough? Would you prefer Lombo start and have RZim, Ian, or Rendon sit on the bench?4. Lineups (as determined by Jayson Werth)WTF? Davey perfers L/R/L/R/L/R at the top of the order. Further, Werth doesn't even like batting second!5. Never bunts no matter what(even if the guys batting has no chance of getting a hit)The NL average for SH's is 32. The Nats have 30. That's "never no matter what"? Are you just making stuff up?Did you miss the bunt yesterday?6. Plays AL ball as if Morse was still here with a lineup of Span and Lombo and Bernie.See #5.7. DannyWhat about him? They gambled, and it didn't work. They also gambled with Ian, and it _did_ work. Further, while Danny had a negative WAR *so did Lombo*. I.e., there wasn't really a good replacement for him.As as soon as there was (Rendon), Danny got demoted. Rendon, btw, played in only half the minor league games that Harper did.8. StorenLast night was only the second time in Storen's last 18 appearances, that he allowed an earned run.9. Many controversial statements which throw his players under the bus(Bryce, Stras, etc..)Then why do the players like him so much?10. Playing guys who are hurt when they should be sitting (Bryce, Haren, Danny, Zim, Werth)That's not even a manager decision! If a player is hurt, he should tell the manager that he can't play. Or a doctor decision. That's really silly.Sheesh . . .

There are only four teams in the entire league that are more than two sacrifices ahead of the Nats on the season. And the Nats are third-to-last in OBP, so they have fewer chances to sacrifice to begin withI guess everybody in baseball "never bunts no matter what," huh?

Sorry for stepping on your toes on the bunt thing, DC Wonk. You nailed it. All of those complaints are ridiculous. The bunt thing is just the dumbest of the dumb, because it's so easy to confirm or refute with 30 seconds of research.

"Yesterday you were all about how we can catch the Braves no problem. Today you are championing the neganons. The problem is that you live and die with every win or loss. This isn't football and the Brewers despite being a mediocre team won't go 0 -162.May I remind you that they took 2 out of 3 from the Braves about 2 weeks ago."————————–Thanks, JD! In my mind, I'm referring to these up&down folk as "snapshot fans". Their unshakable vision of the future of this team (and most of the individual players and coaches) depends entirely on their performance in the most recent game… That "snapshot" represents the whole season, to them. I agree with you, that they may not be emotionally well suited to follow the game of baseball… As a fan, I'm having a great time! As long as we're not eliminated, I can't help envisioning the turnaround, the comeback, the late season heroics, the playoff victories, and the stories we'll be sharing, for years to come….GYFNGOGOGO!!!!!!

Unkyd, You know what? yesterday's loss was tough because all the stars were aligned in our favor with Stras pitching lights out and with the Brewers resting 3 of their best players not to mention the fact that they aren't very good to start with. But, Peralta was throwing 97 MPH on the corners most of the night. It happens and Storen just couldn't locate any of his off speed pitches. If it wasn't for the fact that we dropped a full 7 games out I would really not have worried about this game too much but even then, there's another game tonight.

Ghost, What you say is true but Peralta did make some nasty pitches in the clutch. I was only upset at Desi in the 1st inning because Peralta had just walked LaRoche to load the bases and was 2 – 0 on him. If you are gonna swing in that situation you better do better than a little grounder to 2nd.

Have to join in here this morning. I apologize for adding so many retaliations last night but it just frosted me to have one poster use so many poor analogies. Like I said – Span is not the problem and I should have just left it at that.I want to thank Bowdenball and JD and Wonk for expressing what I feel, in a far more intelligent manner. I have no problem being upset with our up and down team and I left in the 8th inning last night which is rare for me but I did. I did not boo Storen but I did wonder why Davey had nobody warming after the first two batters? That is baseball and I respect his decisions as a manager. I will be back out to the park on Saturday, rooting for us tonight, and not thinking about who should be benched or fired or any of that crap. Its 162 games, it plays out slowly, we are not playing to our potential but we have major league baseball and we are better then so many other teams even while we struggle. UNKYD – I join you in having a great time and I will add that even if we do get eliminated, the excitement of watching Span glide to make tough catches look easy, or Desmond going in the hole and nailing a runner by 1/2 step or Strasburg dominating etc etc is enough.Totally unrelated. I get a kick out of kids and adults who bring gloves up to the 300 sections. In 308 in the last 5 years I have seen a total of two foul balls make there way into this deck. Last night was the 2nd as the famous (?) Juan Francisco deposited one. The other guy who did it might just have a little more power – some guy named Prince Fielder. Maybe there have been some over home plate or down the first base side and obviously, I don't attend every game but it is rare to see a ball up our way. I will end by saying that even though I don't agree with Mick or WODL or many of the other naysayers, I do enjoy reading most of their thoughts. Maybe 100 posts on Span is a bit much and I get tired of the "fire Davey" stuff as well but it is their opinion and I appreciate that they can express that here.

On the Peralta injury. We have a pretty good view and I wonder what was shown on TV. To us, we had no clue he was injured but were intrigued by how quickly Ricky Weeks came in from 2nd base. I am wondering what he saw or heard. Once he got to the mound, he was joined by others and then finally the trainer & manager came out (at least that is how I saw it). I was just impressed with Weeks and how he was into what was going on. I was also surprised they actually let him throw another pitch (which was high but 97 mph) before taking him out.

PS – I will be very happy to see Stras get wins. He has done a complete 180 in terms of attitude, coming around to strongly defend his struggling teammates while continuing to dominate on the mound.I know the W-L record means a lot less than ERA, but then again, I find interesting this tidbit from the twitter feed:"It's been 25 yrs since a qualifying pitcher has finished w/ a losing record + ERA under 2.50"A pitcher's W-L record seems to say as much about the team as a whole as it does about the pitcher as an individual. Here's hoping by the end of the season that factoid will have to be updated to say "It's been 26 years since…"

Last night stunk – I know, because I watched the whole game (Never Give Up! Never Surrender!) from Section 311. Strasburg was great, but the bats (other than Rendon and the oft-maligned Span) were terrible. Storen was terrible, even allowing for the umpire's odd approach to the zone. And Harper should have had an error on that fly ball: if you stop, turn, set your feet and the ball hits your glove and falls out – that's an error, boys and girls, Storen did his job on that play.But I would point out that this game is an anomaly for Storen, Harper and the bats. Why is one drizzly Tuesday night more indicative of a team than the two previous nights (23 runs) for the bats or the previous three weeks (9 appearances, 7IP, 3H, 1R, 0ER, 8/2 K/BB) for Storen?One problem is that fans are constantly looking for "THIS IS IT, THIS IS THE MOMENT." Baseball doesn't work that way. There is a reason for the cliche that momentum doesn't get any farther than the next day's starting pitcher. If you pound your chest after every win and despair after every loss than you're going to wear yourself out and make yourself crazy. So don't do that

I'm going to resist the temptation to weigh in on the myriad debates raging this morning and last night. But I was at the game last night, and by the end I wanted to be sick. I'm going to comment on two issues — wasting an excellent performance by Stras, and Storen.Stras — Stras's curveball was stunning last night. There is nothing I enjoy more than watching him from Section 314 when he's on. To see the knees of opposing hitters turn to jelly is pure heaven. He was hitting 97 with his heater regularly. He didn't flinch after Zim's awful error. The guy is turning into an ace, though is W-L record doesn't reflect it.With the struggles in the 4 and 5 spots in our rotation, we just have to win the games where our top 3 perform at their usual high level. Once again, too many guys swinging for the fences, too many bad at bats. What the heck is Harper doing bunting? If the slumping Rendon could get hits, why was everyone so feckless? So frustrating to watch. Wily Peralta is not Clayton Kershaw or Matt Harvey.Storen — Yes, he's been very good recently. So maybe he was just due for a fall. Even the best relievers have a bad game every now and then. The question is how the reliever, and the manager, deals with it. Last night was one of those games (and none of us will ever forget the prime example of this) where the pressure got to him. As 308 noted, and I have before, the game slows to a snail's pace when he has runners on. He labors over ever pitch, stares endlessly at the catcher (without checking the runner(s)). It's just deadly for everyone. He has to learn from Soriao to just throw strikes. Nibbling kills him. And his motion to the plate is too deliberate to prevent baserunners from stealing. I thought he developed the slide step to address this, but it's not working. Something just has to be done about that.I proudly proclaim that I joined the boo birds last night. Sorry if this offends anyone, but he deserved it. Not for getting hit, that happens to every pitcher. But for not having his head in the game. There simply is NO EXCUSE, NONE, for not noticing runners breaking when you are holding the ball in the stretch position. The second steal was absolutely breathtakingly awful. If that doesn't deserve boos, I don't know what does. He cannot survive as a relief pitcher if he can't pay attention enough to notice what was going on there.Finally, I blame Davey on this as well. Why wasn't Krol warming once there were two guys on base? Why didn't Krol come in to face the lefty Franciso? Storen is NOT GOOD against lefties. That was a situation for a stopper, and Davey sat on his hands.I'll be back tonight, hoping for the best from Det. But it's just a darn shame that we couldn't take that game last night. Now a split of this series against the woeful Brewers may be the best we can do.Oh one more thing on a positive note. Rendon's diving stop and flip from his belly was brilliant. Plus two hits. He's a keeper.

Eric: I honestly can't see SS ending the year with a losing record the way he is pitching right now. I do have a question for the people that follow more closely. I believe there is a formula that deals with innings increase from year to year as a young pitcher comes back from surgery or just develops. SS had his year cut off at around 160 innings last year. Has there been anything written or any talk of him having an innings count for this season? Thanks in advance.Go Nats!!

"the umpire's odd approach to the zone."OK, so I wasn't the only one who noticed? It was like the whole thing was offset 2 inches down and towards the left-handed batter's box. At least it was pretty consistent, though."And Harper should have had an error on that fly ball"That wasn't ruled an error? That's…shocking…

JD said… Ghost,What you say is true but Peralta did make some nasty pitches in the clutch.Where did I say anything about Peralta? I stated only facts. 0-8 in RISP, 10 LOB, .306 OBP for the game. Take it for what it's worth.I said during the game Peralta had late movement on his fastball.

>Eric: I honestly can't see SS ending the year with a losing record the way he is pitching right now.I agree…but, if he continues pitching like this and DOES end up with a losing record, that reflects on the team much more than him.I do believe Stras is subject to no innings limits this year…but I'm not positive about that.

JD- yep… Of course it's tough, anytime they lose one. I certainly did not smile, as I clicked off the remote, last night. But I did smile, with the first thought of MY team, this morning… I spent 30+ years, feeling as an outsider among baseball fans, because I didn't HAVE a team! I suppose the joy of having a rooting interest might wear off, someday, but I knew that rooting for a baseball team means suffering through the bad nights…the bad seasons, as well as exulting over the good nights, and the championships. Can't have one without the other… Not with this game…I'm not really tryna take shots at anyone. At 53, I know not everyone will share my optimism. There is plenty of room here for extended venting, so don't hold back with your feelings, anyone…. But these are just my feelings…

Dueces: I certainly do understand you booing and its just not my nature. That is not to say I was thinking kind thoughts about Drew as he took 45 min. to finish a disastrous inning. I am jealous of your view of SS, or any pitcher for that matter. One of the few issues we have with our seats is that we have no idea on balls and strikes. What I do like though is that in moving around to various parts of both RFK and Nationals Park, I can follow the ball off the bat in 308 better than anywhere else I have sat. Lower bowl for me is really hard, guess that is one of the problems with getting old.

Natsjack – you are the 2nd poster to compare certain negatrons using football as the analogy. I think you might be onto something. Baseball winds it was slowly through 7 months and unfolds and builds to the playoffs. Football comes crashing in the first week of their season and is over in 4 months with each single game of the week a huge battle. Don't get me wrong, I like watching football on tv but I attend baseball games and I have passion for my Nationals. Like others, have been waiting a long time for 1. a Major League Team 2. a winning Major League Team. Its been fun, it will be fun and one of these years, I will be seated at a World Series game.Go Nats!!

I read all the posts. I would categorize them into three areas: (i) those that are positive toward the team; (ii) those voicing their concern or displeasure and (iii) those critiquing, complaining or insulting fellows posters. I really do not mind the opinions of the uber fans or the complainers. What annoys are those that continue to berate fellow posters. The biggest offenders in this blog are Joe Seamhead and Bowdenball. i wish they would give it a rest. Everyone is entitled to an opinion.

So back to my pet peeve(s) about Storen. Can you, as a coach, speed him up? Will that upset whatever rhythm he has? Can you correct the way he holds (he honestly doesn't hold them) baserunners this late in his career? Can you teach him that sidestep or whatever its called to get the ball to the plate quicker? I honestly hope that the next time he enters a game and he will enter the game in late innings, that Davey at least has another pitcher getting ready. I don't care what that does to Storen's psyche. I was just shocked after the first two batters were pitched to so poorly that there was absolutely no movement in our bullpen. I understand a reliever could not have gotten ready early enought to face the 3rd hitter and I also understand that Storen, Clip and Soriano do allow runners frequently but I think part of this loss was on Davey.Go Nats!!

Last night was one of those games (and none of us will ever forget the prime example of this) where the pressure got to him. I disagree. I think it was a very simple matter that he couldn't get his slider over. (All pitchers have games like that). He kept trying, he kept missing, and the Brew Crew was just sitting on his fast ball.Doesn't anyone remember Strasburg's last start? He left after seven innings against a tough hitting Arizona with the score 2-2.Storen, just like last night, came in to pitch the 8th. It was just as pressure as this game.And Storen struck out the side.The difference wasn't pressure — the difference was that Storen had his slider working last week.

222, I watched the game on TV so I guess my perspective of the Storen performance is different than yours. I don't think he was nibbling at all: 1) He couldn't command his slider or his change up. 2) The umpire was all over the place with his calls. Storen really needed that slider with Francisco who is a dead fast ball hitter and was sitting on one when he his his double. I don't think a player deserves to be booed when he's doing his best and it's not working.

m: I enjoy your posts as well and I guess this is just one old man's opinion but I thought Bowdenball's post early in this article was the one that resonated with me the most and it resonated in a positive way. We will just have to disagree on this.

Well, I guess I'm glad I was there and not tempted to check the game thread. Tried to find folks at the picnic tables, but everybody there around 6:45 or so just gave me a blank look when I asked around about "Insiders?" "Anybody here know Mark Zuckerman?" "I heard there was a sofa up here–anybody know where?"Of course, by this time, I'm used to that "It's lips are moving and it seems to be speaking English, but I don't know what it's saying" look.

I don't think a player deserves to be booed when he's doing his best and it's not working. Ditto on that. Phillie fans boo their players, not us.His ERA from when Harper went down, until last night was 1.93. This was Storen's second bad outing in 18 appearances — boo him for that?!?

You can't stop Corey "the Goober" Kluber, you just hope to contain him!!! Man I love to read the "this is baseball" crowd tell everybody that a greatly underachieving team is just hitting a bump in the road. Looks a lot more like a roadblock to me. This team has been in deep trouble from Week 2 of the season. 40 games this year of 2 runs or less!!! I could see a minor turnaround to 86-88 wins, but that is not going to be enough.

People didnt boo Storen becuz he was off… They boo'd him becuz he couldn't hold the runners… That almost double steal was bad but then the huge jump with the next batter.. That was just horrific…Right afterwards, Storen threw to first to attempt to hold the runner and fans cheered…Interesting readings this morning….

Yeah, I interpreted the booing as being related to the runner jumping on Storen a full 1 – 2 seconds before Storen even started his pitching motion. That was pretty absurd. Zim was there for the pick off, but Storen threw home, and Zim wasn't there for the resulting GB.Honestly, I don't boo. I don't even like that people boo, say, Kozma, much as he drives me bananas with all his ridiculous slap hitting against the Nats. But, in this case, I see where people were coming from.I like hearing that fans cheered him throwing to first afterwards, MrsB. Makes it seem more like a kind of conversation than straight up jeering.

not liking booing and thinking people shouldn't boo are very different things. Like the wave. I hate it, but I hate it even more when people demand that others not do itTo be fair, thinking it (as I do) and demanding others not do it (a fool's errand) are not the same, either.

Agreed, Sec 3., but Phillies fans seem to make it into a past time unto itself. They seem to jeer for jeering's sake. I honestly can not imagine Nats fans booing a player getting injured under any circumstances.

JD, fair points. In the park, it's hard to tell the difference between nibbling and bad calls by the ump, so you may be right.Mrs. B and Eric were right, the boos were not for bad pitching they were for his complete failure to pay attention to the runners. That steal of third (which actually wasn't a steal because the batter hit the ball into the hole vacated by Zim) was just ridiculous. And the previous steal (which was a steal) was all on him too. The cheer for throwing over to first was definitely a Bronx cheer. I joined in that too. By then, the game was lost. Davey should have brought in a lefty to face Francisco. They might still be playing.

Yeah – I'm one of those fans that calls an ace an ace and a spade a spade… I had no issues with the paying fans expressing their dismay by booing the fact that yet another Nats pitcher can't hold a runner..It seemingly takes a lot for Nats fans to boo becuz we don't do it often… It gets to a breaking point and seeing the Nats pitcher keep messing up on fundamentals, it's frustrating…

Eric, absolutely, Philly fans have a well-earned rep for eating their own young, and in fact, most fans in most places will boo their own on occasion. Maybe not in St. Louis, but most places. It's a vocal minority everywhere but the COBL.

Sofa – I have the exact same problem! I walk by the picnic tables, lots of fans in lots of gear but I don't really want to start asking total strangers about Mark or sofa's or bourbon & Maalox. It's not the end of the world if all of you stay imaginary but it might be nice to put a face to a name. The other problem with that is that I will forget the name in less then 20 min. Honestly, Wonk came over to 308 last year, we had a very pleasant conversation, I waved to the wonklet, but if he came over this season he would have to reintroduce himself. It is a sad thing about once having a memory and then slowly seeing it fade.

Yeah, I stated that poorly, Sec. 3. Should've read: "not liking booing and demanding people not boo are different things.The distinction, of course, is that I can be (more or less quietly) judgemental without affecting other people, AKA "wasting my time and annoying the pig."

I'll tell you what, St. Louis fans are like the Dan Haren of sports fans. They'll break your heart (or, their team will) but turn around and somehow talk it right back together again. I read post after post after post by St. Louis fans on the WaPo threads following game 5 that were just unspeakably uplifting and hope inducing. They're olar opposite of Phillies fans, for sure.

"The same goes for trashing a team that is one game over .500 in July. It makes you sound like you think you're entitled to a team that goes 162-0."Negatory! Fans are entitled to a team that doesn't play like a Belushi-Akroyd prequel to The Bad News Bears before Tatum O'Neal. That's certainly how they — most of them — played last night and in many of their 41 (42? I lose track) losses to date. Worst defense in baseball. Pitchers who can't/won't keep runners on base. Hitters like Desmond who flail at the first two pitches they see that are cumulatively three feet out of the strike zone. (Don't tell me Desmond has driven in more runs than anyone in the NL since Abe Lincoln was a pup. Persuade me by telling me how he ranks in "opportunities squandered.") And don't tell me about Storen facing "game situations." According to ESPN he has two saves, eleven "holds" (i.e., he didn't surrender the lead, no matter how large) and three blown saves in 37 appearances. Not exactly an unbroken string of stressful situations. The Nats should have been out of the psychological reconstruction business when they got rid of Rodriguez.Inasmuch as, according to NatsJack and others, coaches no longer "coach" at the major league level, this sort of ineptitude leads to the perception that more than a tolerable number of players are stubborn, dumb or emotionally scarred. Their chances of digging out of this funk are as good as the chance of the whole team being cosmically struck by smartness.

I am with Eric in that I just don't boo. But I am fine with others as long as it is in some sort of context. Storen did deserve the "bronx jeer" when he threw over. If you remember, before Shafer stole second (easily I might add), Storen did make a decent pickoff attempt. After that it was just endless staring and wandering around the mound and well, I covered that all before.Go Nats

ok, im not really trying to get anyone riled up here….I simply don't like Davey as much as some of you. I have watched him for 20 years, and i thik he is a manager the benefited from great teams, but not a great manager. As a FAN, his decisions inffurriate me. I am merely posting IDEAS that may help….like moving Span around, taking adv of a power CF which is a proven way to better a team, change lead up, etc. This is a fan site…and i enjoy your posts….even the ones that go over the top…but PLEASE everyone stop bashing those with different opptions. Take a note from David Proctor. He is always repsectfull and usually backs up his disagreements with valid points. He has, at times, caused me to see thngs differently and many times he was right. As far as a new Manager goes, id love to see WERTH….but that wont happen. GYFNG!

Sofa – as I age I can see going back to what worked as a child – I can pin a nametag & picture on whatever nats gear I wear to the park that night.TimDz – its actually the beer, I don't drink Bourbon but thanks for the suggestion. Besides, sometimes it good to actually forget what you were supposed to remember. Off to the gym. See you folks on the recap tonight – hope we rebound!!Go Nats!!

Had to enter one more before I leave. Well said Scott and I also enjoy Mr. Proctor as he battles back in a very respectful and positive way. Put me down for Werth in the dugout but unfortunately, it won't happen. That would be a fun team. I wonder if everyone would be encouraged to grow a beard??

That guy jsut exudes enthusiam. Palyer Manger would be so cool. But, i get it…we have Davey for the next few months…and he allready said this is his last year. So, I'm going to root for him as much as i can without throwing a tantrum. …hopefully. This is Scott, Google Act is being weird.

Am behind on reading posts and comments (stupid work – oh, right – it does pay the bills and all). Did notice the conversation regarding meetups. I used to ask people if they were "insiders," but it just got weird looks (well, weirder looks than I usually elicit) and also seemed too exclusive. So now I allude to the "Zuckerman baseball blog." That said, nametags/signs could work, too. (I suppose that mine would be pinned on and say "Please look after this fan.")

natsfan1a said… Am behind on reading posts and comments (stupid work – oh, right – it does pay the bills and all). Did notice the conversation regarding meetups. I used to ask people if they were "insiders," but it just got weird looks (well, weirder looks than I usually elicit) and also seemed too exclusive. So now I allude to the "Zuckerman baseball blog." That said, nametags/signs could work, too. (I suppose that mine would be pinned on and say "Please look after this fan.") July 03, 2013 12:47 PM LOL! Ive done that a few times, with the same weird looks. How about people sue their real names, like me Then u cant hide…Mwhuhaaaa

@WODL at 1:45 –Bryce Harper center field experiment could benefit Nationals in many wayshttp://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/bryce-harper-centerfield-experiment-could-benefit-nationals-in-many-ways/2012/03/20/gIQADw7BQS_story.htmlJohnson and Rizzo can't seem to make up their minds….Question — wasn't March 20, 2012 a month before Mr. Harper's major league debut? Comment — If Johnson and Rizzo are relying on their conjecture from before any seeing MLB action at all from Bryce Harper, I think the question of whether Harper or Span is playing center field is the least of the Nationals problems.